The old saying is if you can’t beat them, join them. For one of the Union’s longtime rivals, it seems that if you can’t beat them, sign one of their strikers.
On Friday, The Athletic reported that D.C. United has offered the Union a $4 million transfer fee to sign Tai Baribo and give him a Designated Player contract.
That is an enormous offer, even for a player who has scored 35 goals over the last year and a half for the Union. Though the Union took Baribo’s contract option for 2026, they had been hedging for a while on giving him a DP deal — especially with two strikers already at that level in Bruno Damiani and new signing Ezekiel Alladoh.
D.C. is looking for a replacement for Christian Benteke, the former English Premier League stalwart who led United’s attack for 3½ years and was MLS’s top scorer in 2023. It wasn’t Benteke’s fault that he lost a lot more games than he won there — D.C. finished 10th or worse in the East in all four of his seasons, and dead last leaguewide twice — but it was certainly noticed.
Christian Benteke departed D.C. United as a free agent.
Time will tell if Baribo suffers the same fate, or if the league’s original dynasty builds a good team around him. It’s been over two decades since United won their last MLS Cup, and nearly three decades since they were the league’s original dynasty.
It also was no secret in Chester, including in the stands, that Baribo isn’t exactly great at creating his own shot. Changing clubs within MLS will show to what degree his success was tied to the Union’s playbook.
The Union already have two examples of that on the record, in their multi-million-dollar sales of Jack McGlynn to Houston and Dániel Gazdag to Columbus last year. Houston didn’t make the playoffs, and Gazdag had six goals and seven assists in 32 games. (Nor, by the way, has Julián Carranza’s move to Europe been a great success.)
Perhaps that was why a fair few fans on social media reacted to the Baribo news without complaint. Everyone will find out together if he burns his old club, but until then, this deal looks like too much money to turn down.
Concacaf schedule set
The dates and times for the Union’s Concacaf Champions Cup first-round series against Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago were announced Friday.
The series will start on Feb. 18, a Wednesday, at 6 p.m. at historic Haseley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
The Union’s home leg will be eight days later, Feb. 26, at Subaru Park.
The Union’s MLS opener is Feb. 21 at D.C. United, and their home league opener is March 1 vs. New York City FC.
A nightmarish five-turnover game from Jalen Hurts in the Eagles’ Week 14 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers led some to wonder aloud if it would be beneficial to bench the quarterback for the team’s Week 15 game against the Raiders.
Nick Sirianni called the idea of benching Hurts “ridiculous” Wednesday morning during an interview with 94 WIP, but the coach’s comments did not stop the wave of opinions about Hurts.
“You know what’s really, truly, magnificently ridiculous to think? That any quarterback could play as poorly as Hurts has played in back-to-back losses to the Bears and the Chargers without prompting some level of discussion about whether or not he should continue to start,” Inquirer columnist David Murphy wrote Friday. “As good as Hurts has played in his two Super Bowl appearances, that’s how bad he has played over the last couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, fellow columnist Marcus Hayes also believes the conversation needs to at least happen, whether the Eagles ultimately go through with it or not — adding that one more bad game and the Birds might really need to consider sitting Hurts. And Eagles writer Jeff McLane opened the week by suggesting there’s “merit” to the idea of starting Tanner McKee against the Raiders, but that “opening that can of worms may cause more harm than good — especially in the long term.”
Needless to say, the national media has had plenty to say about the idea of benching Hurts. Here’s a look a what they’re saying ahead of Sunday’s game in Vegas …
‘We all know Tanner McKee ain’t playing’
Stephen A. Smith addressed the idea of benching Hurts in favor of backup Tanner McKee on Thursday morning’s episode of ESPN’s First Take. Smith dismissed the idea, largely on the basis that it would be irresponsible to give McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, his second career start in a pivotal game.
“Jalen Hurts ain’t going to be benched,” Smith said. “The backup quarterback’s name is Tanner McKee, right? We all know Tanner McKee ain’t playing. We just know this, OK? Down the line, in the future, sure, but this year, Tanner McKee is not going to replace the reigning defending Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP.”
Smith said calls for Hurts benching is a way for Philly fans to “light a fire” under the team after a three-game losing streak.
“They’re saying, ‘What do we do? What do we have to do to light a fire under these dudes? Because, [expletive], what’s going on isn’t working, because Sirianni ain’t doing anything about it. [Offensive coordinator Kevin] Patullo ain’t doing anything about it. We got a problem.’ That’s the Philadelphia fan base,” Smith said. “There’s nobody with sense that would think for one second that Jalen Hurts is going to find himself on the bench in favor of Tanner McKee.”
Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee’s last start came in the 2024 regular season finale.
‘Do you know how stupid of a question that is?’
Former NFL quarterback — and one-time Hurts critic — Dan Orlovsky agreed with his ESPNcolleague on Thursday’s First Take, calling the talk of benching Hurts “the dumbest conversation of the NFL season.”
“I was probably the most critical person of Jalen Hurts early in his career,” Orlovsky said. “He has gone to the playoffs four times. He’s gone to the Super Bowl twice. He’s won the Super Bowl once, and he was the MVP of the Super Bowl. And 10 months later — 10 months later from doing that — we’re going, ‘Do you think we should bench the quarterback?’ … Do you know how stupid of a question that is?”
.@danorlovsky7 believes Jalen Hurts is being OVERLY criticized right now 👀
"It's still crazy to have the quarterback in the NFL right now, who's fourth in touchdowns, have his job security in question." pic.twitter.com/qLl17wFmif
Orlovsky pointed out the absurdity of Hurts, whose 27 combined rushing and passing touchdowns are the fourth-most in the NFL, having his job security in question. Orlovsky, who has been critical of the Eagles’ struggling offense this season, said the team’s problems are too interconnected to blame on Hurts alone.
“Saquon Barkley is one of two running backs that have over 50 carries this year that have gone for either no yards or negative yards,” Orlovsky said. “Is that because Saquon can’t play anymore? Or is it all connected?”
His criticism of the Eagles quarterback runs deeper than a game or the remaining weeks of the season. Cowherd said on Wednesday’s episode of Fox Sports 1’s The Herd that Hurts’ size may be enough of a reason for the franchise to move on from the quarterback. Cowherd pointed out that many of the league’s best quarterbacks, including Justin Herbert and Josh Allen are 6-foot-3 and above.
“I’m 6-2,” Cowherd said. “I can’t be taller than your franchise quarterback.”
"The truth is: The more Jalen Hurts throws, the worse Philadelphia is. Those are the facts."@colincowherd wonders if the Eagles need to consider a change at quarterback pic.twitter.com/gF2vDqaFZ9
At 6-foot-1, Hurts is the same size as Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa, and Baker Mayfield. Cowherd wondered if the league’s 17-game season is wearing on its smaller quarterbacks.
“[Hurts is] smart, he’s athletic, he’s tough,” Cowherd said. “He’s tiny. It’s not just the size and the length of the quarterback, it’s the length of the season. It’s now 17 games. NFL defensive players are now bigger, stronger, faster. The hits hurt more, they’re more punitive.”
However, Hurts did not shrink — nor did the NFL schedule grow — over the offseason, and neither seemed to be an issue during last year’s Super Bowl run.
This season, Hurts has not missed time due to injury, but he is on pace to finish with his fewest rushing carries since his rookie year. Hurts has carried the ball just 88 times this season.
The Eagles’ move away from running Hurts may protect his long-term health, but the team has struggled with Hurts throwing the ball more frequently. The Birds are 1-5 in games where Hurts throws more than 30 passes.
“The truth is, the more Jalen Hurts throws, the worse Philadelphia is,” Cowherd said. “Those are the facts.”
Throughout the season, coach Mark Ferrante has aimed for Villanova to play “complementary football.”
He saw that concept come to fruition in the final three minutes of Villanova’s 14-7 victory over host Lehigh last Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
It started with Lehigh going three-and-out late in the fourth quarter. On the next drive, Villanova freshman wide receiver Braden Reed scored a 28-yard touchdown. The energy transferred back to Villanova’s defense, as graduate defensive lineman Obinna Nwobodo forced a fumble in the red zone during Lehigh’s final possession.
“[Lehigh] shut us down for a good portion of the game, but our defense showed up,” said graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide. “Our defense picked us up when we were down and gave us short fields. We were fortunate that both our touchdowns came off of huge stops and turnovers. Those guys have been incredible all year.”
When graduate linebacker Shane Hartzell recovered the fumble, the Wildcats’ sideline erupted. It was ultimately the game-winning moment for Villanova as it escaped Lehigh.
“It’s not just the defense getting excited, the whole sideline is getting excited,” Ferrante said. “I think the team is doing a great job of playing together, playing for each other, and playing complementary football. That’s what needs to continue.”
No. 12 seed Villanova (11-2) looks to carry its momentum of a 10-game winning streak into its Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal against fourth-seeded Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, on Saturday (noon, ESPN).
‘Let’s do this together’
Graduate players like Nwobodo and Hartzell form the backbone of Villanova’s defense, guiding the team through one of its most successful seasons in recent history.
Ferrante credited the team’s level-headed leadership with generating a thrilling finish against Lehigh.
“When we went into the locker room at halftime in past years, sometimes the defensive guys would complain about how we haven’t scored. But there was none of that,” Ferrante said. “There was no blame. There was no finger-pointing. It was all, ‘Let’s do this together and play a better second half collectively.’ Fortunately, we were able to do that.”
Villanova and Lehigh faced off in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Dec. 6.
Villanova’s defense relied on its veteran players early in the season, but the secondary is made up of primarily underclassmen. Heading deeper into the playoffs, Ferrante no longer sees the youth of the unit as a potential weakness.
“[The secondary] is where we’ve made some of the biggest growth this year, because that was what everyone was worried about,” Ferrante said. “They don’t lack confidence; they just lacked experience.”
Some of the graduate players spearheading the offense are newcomers this season.
McQuaide took over the starting position as a transfer from Nicholls State, and wide receiver Luke Colella, a Princeton transfer, is averaging a team-high 72.5 receiving yards a game.
“We have a good nucleus of guys who have been here for five or six years,” Ferrante said. “But [McQuaide and Colella] just add a different level of maturity. Even though they’re first-year guys with our program, they bring different perspectives because they’ve been somewhere else.”
Underdog mentality
The Wildcats enter their third game of the playoffs as the underdog.
In the first round, Villanova trounced Harvard, 52-7, despite some predictions saying the Crimson would win. The victory over Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., gave Villanova a further confidence boost.
“We’ve been an underdog every week so far,” McQuaide said. “So we kind of embrace it. It doesn’t really matter. Once the ball is kicked off on Saturday, it’s a four-quarter fight, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide (7) celebrates with wide receiver Luke Colella (1) after scoring a touchdown against Albany on Oct. 25.
Villanova is up against its toughest challenge yet in Tarleton State (12-1), which has the most productive scoring offense in the nation, averaging 44.1 points per game.
“I don’t really see too many weaknesses in [Tarleton],” Ferrante said. “They score a lot of points, they play great defense, and they’re very opportunistic. They create a lot of turnovers.
“So I think what the keys to the game comes down to is who’s going to make the fewest mistakes, who’s going to hang on to the football, and not give the other team extra possessions.”
Rick Tocchet’s news conference after the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday wasn’t short like his predecessor was known for — in fact, he told the team’s media relations staff he was OK to keep answering questions — but for the first time since becoming the Flyers’ head coach, he sounded very frustrated.
“I can name 10 guys that didn’t do anything,” he said during one of his answers. “You guys can write whatever story.”
Tocchet tried to remain positive as his squad hung with a perennial Stanley Cup contender at Xfinity Mobile Arena. But 29 games in, it’s clear the coach wants to see improvements and implementation of his systems.
Two reasons Tocchet wasn’t frustrated
Five-on-five
Tocchet did say he thought that Flyers played played a good game and executed the game plan at five-on-five — and they did.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers had 54.84% of the chances in the first period and 51.85% in the third period. Vegas had the advantage in the middle frame, but also by a slim margin of 52.17%.
The Flyers outshot the Golden Knights by one, and while they did allow two more high-danger chances to the opposition, the Flyers outscored Vegas 2-1.
The Flyers had a pretty even match-up with the highly-skilled and heavy Vegas Golden Knights as teams traded chances.
Four players he liked
For defenseman Noah Juulsen, the season started a little iffy, and there were questions about whether he was ready to play steady minutes after missing a considerable amount of time following sports hernia surgery in February.
But the rust has worn off, and he has become the perfect seventh defenseman — someone who can be inserted into the lineup and play well when there are injuries, as there has been since the start of the season with Rasmus Ristolainen, who is inching his way back from his own surgery.
On Thursday night, Juulsen was rewarded with his first goal in Philly, a tally that Tocchet, who coached him in Vancouver, too, called “a great shot.”
“I think when someone puts in the perfect spot, like [Christian Dvorak] did, and you pound it, it comes off pretty hot usually for most guys in the league,” Juulsen said of his one-timer from the left face-off circle.
Speaking of Dvorak, when asked about his response after his turnover led to the opening goal by Zach Whitecloud, Tocchet liked how he battled back.
“He was disappointed in that. We talked about that,” Tocchet said with a frustrating pause and sigh about the turnover just inside the Vegas blue line, “this morning. When there’s no speed, you’ve got to get it deep. … That’s responsible all year, something bad happens, and we come back.”
Carl Grundström, in his third game with the Flyers, was moved up in the lineup. By the third period, he was solidly on a line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.
“I liked his game,” Tocchet said of the Swede, who finished with a season high 12:41 and got an assist on Juulsen’s goal. “I thought he’d be better on that kind of matchup” against the Jack Eichel line or Mitch Marner, who Brink and Cates were assigned to for most of the night.
It says a lot when a kid playing in his second NHL game has his name brought up unprompted by the head coach. Tocchet said of Ty Murchison “for a young kid again, he looked poised out there.” And he did. Skating 13:41, he was on the ice for Zegras’ backdoor goal to tie the game at 1, and just 1:43 into the game, he laid a monster hit on Kaedan Korczak to set the tone.
“It’s a little disappointing how it ended, sour taste,” he said of the overtime winner by Mark Stone after Travis Konecny fanned on the puck and Eichel was able to maintain possession and find Stone backdoor.
But Tocchet wasn’t happy with the overtime session as a whole. Despite having time in the offensive zone, the Flyers did not register a single shot across the extra session that lasted almost three minutes. Vegas had one blocked shot and two shots on goal.
“[Travis Sanheim] right in the middle of the ice and we pass it like, those are the things you just can’t do,” Tocchet said. “You’ve got to take the shot. It’s right there. He’s got a hell of a shot. We’re looking maybe too cute, I don’t know, but we’ve got to put our finger on it.”
The Flyers are 2-4 in overtime while knowing that, if the game gets there, a perfect 5-0 is on the horizon in the shootout. Asked if the Flyers weren’t playing aggressively enough because they know that if they get it to a shootout, there’s a good chance they win: “I don’t know, maybe in the subconscious of their mind, but not for us,” he said of the coaches.
Travis Sanheim had a lane and a screen on the goal, but opted to pass the puck to Christian Dvorak by the net. It looks like a good play when paused, but in reality, Dvorak was gliding back and did not get the puck until he was almost up against the boards leaving no angle to shoot.
The power play
“Did you see the first two power plays?” Tocchet retorted when asked about the change in the units in the third period that saw Cates and Brink on the top unit with Zegras, Konecny, and Jamie Drysdale, who made a return to the power play in the game.
Earlier in the night, that unit was Owen Tippett, Drysdale, Zegras, Konecny, and Michkov. Emil Andrae and Sanheim also saw power play time on the point with them across the night.
“What would you have done?” Tocchet added with a shrug and a “There you go.”
Tocchet did continue saying that he didn’t want to get negative because they had a good game, but it sure feels like the former NHLer hit a rite of passage as a Flyers coach.
As he said, “I know the coaches are a little frustrated because [we sound] like a broken record.”
So, is everyone else starting to have flashbacks, too?
The power play is 23rd in the NHL (17.9%). Through 29 games and 81 power-play opportunities, the Flyers have 14 goals. It’s not the fewest in the NHL — it’s the third fewest. (One positive is they are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes, whom they play in a home-and-home this weekend.)
The Flyers had three power plays on Thursday, but could muster only one shot on goal, three shots that missed the net, and two that were blocked. That’s six shot attempts across six minutes of action — or a lack of action.
Tocchet said the flanks, which are the players in the circles, aside from Zegras, struggled, and they weren’t getting shots from the middle of the ice. The coach is obviously frustrated that “we’ve practiced it, but for some reason when under pressure we kind of lose our bearings.”
And it has to be even more frustrating for the bench boss to watch Vegas score like that on one of their two power plays. After getting a shot from the middle of the ice by Pavel Dorofeyev, who put the puck on goal from just above the slot, Stone had two chances atop the crease, with the second going in for his first goal of the night.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On a cold, snowy Thursday night, St. Joseph’s battled till the final minutes, but fell to Syracuse, 71-63.
“I think [Syracuse] is physical,” said St. Joe’s coach Steve Donahue. “They do a good job of making the game a grind. It takes a lot of energy to guard them for 30 seconds, and then it kind of takes the wind out of your sails to push it.”
Thursday marked the Hawks’ second game against an Atlantic Coast Conference team. They fell to Virginia Tech on Nov. 12.
Next up, St. Joe’s (6-4) will host Delaware State on Thursday in its first of three final non-conference games.
A tale of two first halves
A fastbreak layup from Deuce Jones II, who scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the first half, extended the Hawks’ run to 7-0 and gave them a 14-7 lead at the 13:58 mark in the first half.
During those opening minutes, St. Joe’s made 6 of 9 shots from the field. Getting out in transition played a large part in the Hawks’ early success, but the final thirteen minutes of the half were a different story.
Justice with the rim rocker as the Hawks have climbed back to a point
The Hawks made 5 of 18 attempts throughout the rest of the first, while Syracuse put together a 12-4 run.
St. Joe’s finished the half shooting 11 of 27 from the field, making 3 of 16 three-pointers. Still, the Hawks entered halftime down 34-30.
Shooting woes
The Hawks entered Thursday tied for first in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (at 81.28%), while the Orange were shooting56.8%.
Syracuse had yet another poor shooting night at the line (15 of 28), but St. Joe’s was right there with them. The Hawks made 18 of 27 free-throws (66.7%), which tied their season-low against Penn.
“If we shot fouls like we’ve been shooting, we may have won this game,” Donahue said.
Meanwhile, three-point shooting has been an ongoing issue for St. Joe’s, who’s shooting 27.3%, which ranks last in the Atlantic 10.
The Hawks made just 5 of 26 attempts from deep on Thursday.
“I don’t think [our] strength is ever going to be our three-point shooting,” Donahue said. “However, I do think if we make good decisions around the basket and kick out, and we get more in rhythm and catch and shoot threes, I think we’ll hit a good share of ours.”
Clutch rebounding not enough
St. Joe’s dominated the glass.
The Hawks gave up just six offensive rebounds, which tied their lowest allowed this season. They also had 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 13 second-chance points, and grabbed 44 rebounds total.
Despite being within reach to reclaim the lead, the Hawks could not get over the hump.
Syracuse went on a 6-0 run twice in the second half, which looked to be the difference maker, and with under three-minutes remaining, the Orange opened their lead to 10 points.
After a spring training workout in February, Kyle Schwarber contemplated the likelihood of the Phillies keeping most of the roster’s core intact through the end of the decade.
“I think we would love to all finish our careers together,” he said. “But who would want to come out and watch a bunch of 40-year-old dudes play baseball? Right?”
Well …
Schwarber will be only 37 when his newly minted five-year, $150 million contract expires in 2030. Bryce Harper will be 38 by then; Trea Turner and Aaron Nola 37; even Cristopher Sánchez will be 34. All will have no-trade rights, if they don’t already.
Maybe they will have World Series rings, too. In that case, the 42,000 fans who pack Citizens Bank Park on random weeknights in June won’t mind watching them ease into baseball old age together. Flags fly forever, you know.
But modern front offices obsess over long-term plans more than trying to win a championship one season at a time. Sustainability is their buzzword. Most whiz-kid general managers would look you in the eye and say that five-year contracts for 33-year-old designated hitters coming off 56-homer seasons are bad business. Don’t even get them started on multiyear deals for 35-year-old catchers who still play 130 games per year.
At 69, Dave Dombrowski is no kid. But five World Series appearances with four franchises and two titles make him a team-building wiz. And although he has hitched the Phillies’ hopes in 2026 and probably 2027 mostly to a handful of thirtysomething superstars, he outlined a second part of the plan that’s essential to success in 2028 and 2029, too.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is intent on incorporating more young players into the Phillies’ roster.
“I’ve said this all along, and I still believe this: We need to start working our young players into our [roster],” Dombrowski said this week at baseball’s winter meetings in the shadow of Disney World. “We have good young players, and we’ll be better for it. I do think that good organizations can blend young players with veterans.”
Look no further than the sport’s model organization.
Since 2023, the Dodgers have spent more than $1 billion on player salaries, including a record $415 million this year (calculated for the luxury tax, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts). Yet they had 25 players make their major league debut, including center fielder Andy Pages, infielder Hyeseong Kim, and pitchers Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, Jack Dreyer, Roki Sasaki, and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Conversely, the Phillies had 12 major league debuts in the last three seasons — fewer than any team, based on Fangraphs research — with setup reliever Orion Kerkering and reserve outfielder Johan Rojas having the most impact.
Dombrowski attributed the low graduation rate from the minor leagues to “a combination of factors,” including a veteran-laden roster that stayed mostly healthy relative to other teams and allowed few opportunities for call-ups.
But it will be different in 2026. It has to be.
Because it’s one thing to reunite Schwarber — and probably free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, too — with Harper, Turner, Nola, Sánchez, and Zack Wheeler on one of the majors’ oldest rosters and take a few more whacks at an elusive championship. It’s quite another to realize that long-term success — beyond, say, 2027, when Wheeler intends to retire — is tied to how good Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and Aidan Miller end up being.
“We have some really exciting talent that’s going to be coming up, and you’re looking forward to whenever they can step foot in the big-league locker room,” Schwarber said. “You want to make them feel like they’re going to be welcomed right away and feel like there’s going to be a seamless transition for them.”
And even as the Phillies bring back the band, the maturation of their next core will be an equally important 2026 storyline.
Top prospect Justin Crawford is expected to occupy a spot in the Phillies’ outfield on opening day.
A new ‘Daycare’
When the Phillies returned to the postseason in 2022, the lineup included three, sometimes four players who were 25 or younger: Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Matt Vierling.
Teammates and coaches dubbed them “Phillies Daycare.”
Although Bohm, Stott, and Marsh became solid contributors after Rob Thomson took over as manager (Vierling got traded to the Tigers for lefty reliever Gregory Soto), they’re mostly supporting actors rather than leading men in the Phillies’ ensemble. And as they outgrew their moniker — “They’re not the ‘Daycare’ anymore,” Harper finally declared last spring — there wasn’t another class coming behind them.
“Well, we traded quite a few players that could have been contributing members,” Dombrowski said, citing Vierling specifically. “We traded them for more veteran type of players to help us win at that particular time.”
Dombrowski also noted that five of the Phillies’ last six first-round picks — including Mick Abel (2020), Painter (2021), Crawford (2022), and Miller (2023) — were drafted out of high school, which typically means a longer path through the minors.
And when the Phillies did punch the accelerator and gave Painter a chance to make the team out of spring training as a 19-year-old in 2023, he tore a ligament in his right elbow, had Tommy John surgery, and missed two seasons.
The Phillies planned to call up Painter midway through this past season. But he struggled to regain his preinjury command, common for pitchers in the first year back from surgery. Painter stayed in triple A, and finished with a 5.40 ERA in 106⅔ innings.
“Honestly, some of the expectations we put on players is unfair,” minor league director Luke Murton told The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “A guy that’s just coming back from Tommy John that pitched over 100 innings, was healthy, and at a level he’d never been at, I was very pleased, very satisfied.
“I think he accomplished a ton this year. Next year he’s looking forward to accomplishing more.”
Painter stands a good chance to crack the season-opening rotation, especially if Wheeler needs more time after thoracic outlet decompression surgery. And the Phillies expect Painter’s long-awaited arrival in the majors to help lessen the anticipated loss of Ranger Suárez in free agency.
Dombrowski has all but guaranteed Crawford’s spot in the opening-day lineup, either in center field or left. The Phillies came close this summer to calling up the 21-year-old but elected to leave him in triple A to win a batting title, especially after acquiring veteran center fielder Harrison Bader at the trade deadline.
“I really believe that [Crawford] could have played for us at some point,” Dombrowski said. “But then you also do what you think is best for the player and for us in that time period. You’re trying to win a championship. And it didn’t hurt him to go out and continue to play [in triple A].
“But now, all of a sudden, you’re in a position where you’ve got Crawford and you’ve got Painter knocking on the door. Miller’s close; [outfielder Gabriel] Rincones is close. [Otto] Kemp came up for us last year, and we like Kemp a lot. There’s others that we like. It’s exciting.”
Also, necessary.
The Phillies could fast-track Aidan Miller to the majors in 2026 if he can make a smooth transition to third base.
‘Close your eyes and let ‘em play’
Including Schwarber’s new deal, the Phillies have roughly $285 million in 2026 payroll commitments, calculated for the luxury tax. Bringing back Realmuto would likely push the total past $300 million.
And still, there are holes in the outfield and bullpen.
The Phillies have explored trading from the major league roster to create payroll flexibility, according to sources. Moving Bohm, entering his free-agent walk year, would clear approximately $10.3 million based on MLB Trade Rumors’ salary arbitration projections.
In that case, the Phillies could look inward to find Bohm’s replacement at third base. One possibility: Kemp, who made his major league debut this year and has drawn effusive praise from Dombrowski throughout the offseason.
“He’s a good hitter. The ball jumps off his bat,” Dombrowski said. “He’s a threat when he comes to the plate. He can play different positions. And he’s a tough son of a gun. He’s a championship-type player. What he played through last year, injury-wise, I don’t think that there’s many people that would have done that.”
Indeed, Kemp continued to play despite fracturing his left kneecap in June and finished with eight homers and a 92 OPS-plus. He had knee surgery and a minor procedure on his left shoulder after the season. The Phillies expect him to be ready for spring training.
Before long, third base could belong to Miller. Murton said the touted 21-year-old shortstop will move to third in spring training. Miller spent the last week of the season in triple A and could return for only a pit stop after finishing with 14 homers, 59 stolen bases, and an .825 OPS between two levels.
Could he follow Crawford and Painter as a major league debutant in 2026?
“You never know,” Murton said. “He’s a very talented player. Don’t want to put too much on him too soon. He’ll be a big-league spring-training invite. You bring him in and see what we’ve got.”
The timing lines up. As Harper posts Instagram videos of his elective blood-oxygenation treatments, the Phillies can finally inject fresh blood into the roster, acclimatizing Crawford, Painter, and eventually Miller while the old guard is still elite and bearing most of the pressure.
“We just need them performing to their best abilities,” Schwarber said. “We don’t need anyone feeling like they need to step out and be Superman. We don’t need them worrying about, ‘How does Schwarber, how does Trea Turner, how does Bryce Harper, how does whoever think about what I’m doing?’”
Said Thomson: “I always think, when you bring a young guy up, close your eyes and let him play. No matter what happens, he gets two, three months, whatever you want to give him, and don’t even talk. Just let him go. The guys that we have at the upper level of our system are performers, and eventually they’re going to perform.”
It’s not just overdue. It’s imperative to keeping the Phillies’ roster from going stale.
Cole Hamels is among the greatest pitchers in Phillies history. He’s also on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. It’s the perfect time, then, for him to join us again on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss the honor of being on the ballot, the Phillies’ offseason so far, his work with Phillies pitchers, and much more. Watch here.
The Eagles’ season has taken a drastic turn in a matter of weeks. The Birds are on a three-game losing streak after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime Monday night.
However, a matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders may be the perfect remedy to the skid.
The Raiders (2-11) have not won a game in two months and are on a seven-game losing streak. The Eagles enter Sunday’s game as 11½-point favorites.
When the Las Vegas Raiders roll into town on Sunday, they’ll be led by an old friend — former Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who’s set to start in place of the injured Geno Smith.
Here’s what Pickett and the rest of the Raiders had to say about the Eagles ahead of Sunday’s game …
‘They have a hell of a team’
The Birds, losers of three straight, will be desperate for a get-right game against the 2-11 Raiders.
Pickett, in his first start of the year, is expecting the Eagles to be ready.
“They’ll be ready to go,” Pickett said. “They have a hell of a team, there’s not a ton of new faces on that team, there’s a lot of really good players, I know the coaching staff, and how prepared they’re going to be for the game, so it’s a great opportunity.
“Seeing what it looks like to be world champions, the dedication, the commitment from every position group, it was really player-led, that was a really cool thing,” Pickett added. “I think we had a great veteran leadership and a lot of those guys are still there.”
With the weather set to reach below-freezing temperatures and snow on the horizon, the Raiders, out in sunny Las Vegas, are preparing for their coldest game of the season so far.
But for Pickett, who spent his college and most of his NFL career in Pennsylvania, he’s used to it.
“I’m a Northeast guy, so this is new to me, going out and practicing in December and it’s 60 degrees every day,” he said. “It’s unbelievable here, but I’m more used to when it hits November, December for it to be more like what it’ll be on gameday, so I’m pretty familiar with it.”
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll shown during a game against the Chargers on Nov. 30.
Carroll on the Tush Push
Despite the never-ending discourse, the Eagles haven’t been nearly as successful on the Tush Push in 2025 as they have in years past.
That hasn’t stopped the play from being a lightning rod of controversy and a point of focus for opposing coaches, including Raiders head coach Pete Carroll.
“If you notice it’s the surge, and the defense does everything they can to throw their bodies at that thing, and then it’s the second surge that usually gets the first down,” Carroll said. “ … It’s the initial, and then it’s the second push that makes the difference.”
Facing one of the NHL’s perennial Stanley Cup contenders, the Flyers hung tough but ultimately fell 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime.
The Flyers are now 2-4 in games decided in the extra session. Philly has also lost three of its past five games.
Travis Konecny fanned on the puck in the Flyers’ zone during the extra period, and Vegas’ Jack Eichel got it before ultimately finding Mark Stone crashing backdoor for the overtime game-winner.
Vegas took a 1-0 lead 6 minutes, 7 seconds into the game on a goal by Zach Whitecloud. The play started when Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin poked the puck away from Christian Dvorak as he skated down on a two-on-two with Konecny, and it went right to Eichel. Vegas’ center, who has already been named to the U.S. Olympic squad, got the puck and sent a stretch pass up to Braeden Bowman at the Flyers’ blue line.
A former teammate of Jett Luchanko’s at Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League, Bowman pulled Emil Andrae out of position and dished the puck to Ivan Barbashev. The Russian winger found Whitecloud splitting Konecny and Jamie Drysdale, and the defenseman flipped the backhand past Dan Vladař.
But, as it usually happens, the line that gave up the goal tied it.
Travis Sanheim knocked away an Eichel pass attempt in the neutral zone, and the Flyers got to work. They got the puck deep and kept it in the offensive zone for the next 38 seconds. It ended with Sanheim skating to the top of the left face-off circle and threading the needle to Trevor Zegras at the right post for the goal.
Flyers center Trevor Zegras scored his team-leading 11th goal on Thursday night.
Zegras now leads the Flyers with 11 goals. He is one off his total from last season, when he scored 12 in 57 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks.
Vegas retook the lead in the second period on a power-play goal by Stone. The Golden Knights’ captain scored on his second rebound attempt after Pavel Dorofeyev put a shot from the high slot on goal off the rush.
But the never-quit Flyers tied it again. Carl Grundström put pressure on defenseman Brayden McNabb, creating a turnover along the boards in the Vegas zone. Dvorak scooped up the puck and skated around the right circle and up in the zone before feeding Noah Juulsen for the one-timer from the left face-off dot. The goal is Juulsen’s first with the franchise and registered at 92 miles per hour.
Breakaways
Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who was the World Series MVP in 2008, was at the game in a Tocchet jersey; however, Tocchet was misspelled as Tochett. … Actor David Boreanaz, who grew up in the Philly area and is a noted Flyers fan, and Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly were also in attendance. … The Flyers did not have a tribute video for former goalie Carter Hart, who returned to Philly for the first time. Contrary to what was reported on the ESPN broadcast, a source told The Inquirer there was no extra security behind the Vegas bench. It was the normal NHL-required security.
The Flyers play a home-and-home with the Carolina Hurricanes beginning on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP). Sunday’s game is at the Lenovo Center (5 p.m., NBCSP).
